Game board with color distinguishable play pins and bores

ABSTRACT

A game board which has a top section and a bottom movable toward and away from each other and continuously urged away from each other by springs interposed between these two sections while abutment means associated therewith determine the minimum and maximum distance between the bottom and top sections. The top section is provided with a plurality of bores in which there are respectively arranged a plurality of play pins each of which is shiftable into two distinct extreme positions and a distinct intermediate position in each of which it is frictionally held. The shafts of the play pins are all provided with a common color. The surfaces of the bores in which the play pins are disposed are likewise provided with a common color which is distinguishable from the shaft color, whereby shifting of a play pin into either of its extreme positions results in the display of one of two distinguishable colors.

United States Patent Foerst GAME BOARD WITH COLOR DISTINGUISHABLE PLAY PINS AND BORES June 24, 1975 Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Walter Becker 5 7] ABSTRACT A game board which has a top section and a bottom movable toward and away from each other and continuously urged away from each other by springs interposed between these two sections while abutment means associated t-herewith determine the minimum and maximum distance between the bottom and top sections. The top section is provided with a plurality of bores in which there are respectively arranged a plurality of play pins each of which is shiftable into two distinct extreme positions and a distinct intermediate position in each of which it is frictionally held. The shafts of the play pins are all provided with a common color. The surfaces of the bores in which the play pins are disposed are likewise provided with a common color which'is distinguishable from the shaft color, whereby shifting "of a play pin into either of its extreme positions results in the display of one of two distinguishable colors.

3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEIJJIJN24 I975 3,891. 219

SHEET 1 GAME BOARD WITH COLOR DISTINGUISHABLE PLAY PINS AND BORES The invention applies to a game played on a board, with which the fieldboard is provided with evenly distributed boxes in which play pins are located which project above the board and are held in their respective position by resilient elements, said play pins being axially displaceable.

Games of the above mentioned kind are known. As game elements pins are employed which are of the same shape but differ in color from each other. During the game, the game elements or pieces are placed into the openings or bores by the players in alternate sequence and withdrawn again. With games of this type it is disadvantageous that the game elements have individually to be taken out of little containers and have to be inserted into the openings or bores. The placing of loose pins or pieces into openings is unhandy and thus hinders the progress of the game. 1

Games are also known where the game elements or pieces have already been inserted into the openings of the fieldboard and prior to the start of the game are held in their position by spring elements. The disadvantage of this board game however consists in that all game pins are during the play pushed downwardly only, which fact greatly restricts the rules of the game. Moreover, due to the uniform color of the game pins there is no optical difference in their appearance during the course of the game.

It is, therefore, an object of this inventi'on to improve games of the above mentioned kind in a way that loose game pins or pieces are not used and that due to different colors of the game pins and their location indications, the game is suitable for a wider variety of rules.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a possible embodiment of a board game according to the invention.

FIG. 2 shows a bottom view of the board game according to FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a seek-ion taken along the line IIIIII of FIG. 1

The board game according to the invention includes a fieldboard with evenly distributed bores extending entirely through the board and having vertically displaeeably arranged therein game pins which project above the board and are held in their respective position by spring elements. The game is characterized primarily in that the vertically displaceable play field plate rests through the intervention of preloaded springs against the bottom while the playfield plate along its circumferential edge ends in a bead. This bead is on its inside provided with an abutment having catches or noses on its lower end. These noses rest against a collar-shaped extension at the bottom. Each play pin has that end thereof which projects beyond and above said plate provided with a handle while its opposite end is equipped with a collar-shaped extension. Each play pin comprises a handle and a slidable part which are interengaged while the outer confinement of the slidable part is partly angled off outwardly and forms spring elements.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the game i1- lustrated therein comprises a fieldboard l which rests on the bottom 2 through the intervention of springs 3. The springs 3 are held in position by dogs 4 and 4a respectively connected to the bottom 2 andthe fieldboard 1. The rim 5 of the fieldboard 1 is in the form of a bead which at its upper part 5a projects beyond the fieldboard 1. At the inner side of the lower part 5b the rim or bead 5 has a shoulder 6 forming a stop. The lower part 5b of bead 5 forms a catch or nose 7. The noses 7 rest against a collanshaped extensionjS on the bottom 2. The lower part 5b of .bead S is bend-elastic to permit an easy assembly. The game pin locomprises a handle part 12 and a sliding part 14. Both parts catch each other. The outer confinement of the sliding part 14 is partly angled off outwardly while forming elastic limbs 11 adapted frictionally to engage the .wall'of the pertaining bore in board 1. The upward movement of pin 10 is limited by engagement of its flange-shaped end 13 with the pertaining edge la 'of board 1 The handling of the board game andfurther advantages thereof will become clear from the play rules briefly set forth below: i t a The game is played by twopersons. Each player sets the color assigned to him, in alternate sequency by pushing or pulling a game pin 10. The object of the game consists in setting five marks of one color in a row. That player who has accomplished this first is the winner.

The checking of the state of the game is assured at each stage of the game due to the fact that the outsides of the sliding parts 14 of the pins 10 and the insides of the openings 9 are differently colored and furthermore that these two colors differ from the common color of the handles 12, of the top sides of the pins 10, and of the top side of the fieldboard 1.

Canceling of the game is accomplished by first pushing the pulled pins 10 downwardly either by pressing them inwardly manually or by turning the board game upside down, placing it on a smooth surface, and pressing downwardly while overcoming the tension of the springs 3. In this way all pressed-in pins 10 are returned to their initial position.

The board game according to the invention has the advantage that no loose game pins or pieces are used and that nevertheless the game is suitable for rules requiring game pins of two different colors. According to the invention, the game pins are slidable in the openings or bores of the fieldboard. The shape of the pins in connection with their distinguishing colors against the fieldboard and the insides of the holes permits a good survey over the game and easy handling thereof. This also applies to the canceling out of the game which does not require the players resetting each playing pin to its initial position.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by no means, limited to the particular showing in the drawings, but also comprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

1. A game board which includes in combination: a bottom section, a top section, spring means interposed between said top section and said bottom section, said top section and said bottom section being movable relative to each other, said spring means continuously urging said top section away from said bottom section, abutment means associated with said top and bottom sections and operable during a movement of said top section toward and away from said bottom section to limit the minimum and maximum distance respectively therebetween, said top section being provided with a plurality of bores defined by walls having a lower end face directed toward said bottom section, and a plurality of play pin means projecting above the game board and respectively frictionally slidable in said bores with said play pin means being axially displaceable toward and away from said bottom section, each of said pin means having a skirt with resilient portions having the tendency to bend outwardly for frictional engagement with the wall of the pertaining bore, the improvement therewith comprising a side surface of said bores having a color different from that of the top section of the board, said play pin means being shiftable into two distinct extreme positions and a distinct intermediate base position in each of which three positions said play pin means are frictionally held, each play pin means comprising a slidable part and a handle for pushing and pulling thereof which projects just above said board in the base position of said play pin means, said handle and said slidable part being differently colored such that the surface of the handle and surface of the top section of the board are uniquely colored whereas the surface of the slidable part and the side surfaces of the openings in the board are differently colored.

2. A game board in combination according to claim 1, in which that portion of the skirt of each pin which is closest to said bottom portion has a flange for respectively engaging said bottom section in the lowermost position of the respective pin and for engaging the respective adjacent lower end face of the pertaining bore wall in the uppermost position of the respective pin.

3. A game board in combination according to claim 1, in which said bottom section has outwardly extending peripheral flange means, and in which said top section has peripheral nose means catching behind said flange means when said top and bottom sections have their maximum distance from each other, said top section also being provided with shoulder means for abutment with said flange means of said bottom section to limit the minimum spacing between the latter and said top section. 

1. A game board which includes in combination: a bottom section, a top section, spring means interposed between said top section and said bottom section, said top section and said bottom section being movable relative to each other, said spring means continuously urging said top section away from said bottom section, abutment means associated with said top and bottom sections and operable during a movement of said top section toward and away from said bottom section to limit the minimum and maximum distance respectively therebetween, said top section being provided with a plurality of bores defined by walls having a lower end face directed toward said bottom section, and a plurality of play pin means projecting above the game board and respectively frictionally slidable in said bores with said play pin means being axially displaceable toward and away from said bottom section, each of said pin means having a skirt with resilient portions having the tendency to bend outwardly for frictional engagement with the wall of the pertaining bore, the improvement therewith comprising a side surface of said bores having a color different from that of the top section of the board, said play pin means being shiftable into two distinct extreme positions and a distinct intermediate base position in each of which three positions said play pin means are frictionally held, each play pin means comprising a slidable part and a handle for pushing and pulling thereof which projects just above said board in the base position of said play pin means, said handle and said slidable part being differently colored such that the surface of the handle and surface of the top section of the board are uniquely colored whereas the surface of the slidable part and the side surfaces of the openings in the board are differently colored.
 2. A game board in combination according to claim 1, in which that portion of the skirt of each pin which is closest to said bottom portion has a flange for respectively engaging said bottom section in the lowermost position of the respective pin and for engaging the respective adjacent lower end face of the pertaining bore wall in the uppermost position of the respective pin.
 3. A game board in combination according to claim 1, in which said bottom section has outwardly extending peripheral flange means, and in which said top section has peripheral nose means catching behind said flange means when said top and bottom sections have their maximum distance from each other, said top section also being provided with shoulder means for abutment with said flange means of said bottom section to limit the minimum spacing between the latter and said top section. 